Postal Service to Suspend Saturday Delivery

Starting August 5, you will no longer receive mail on Saturdays, in an attempt to save the USPS $2 billion a year, according to Post Master General Patrick Donahue. Usually Congressional Approval is needed in order to make such changes, but the U.S. Postal Service has made a unilateral decision, going over the heads of lawmakers to stop delivering mail on the weekends.

According to Donahue, the new Saturday delivery cutbacks plan is intended to create more financial stability for the agency. He has asked that congress not to interfere with this decision once temporary spending measures currently in place by the federal government expire on March 27.

"It's a responsible decision," Patrick Donahoe says. "It makes common sense."

Mail delivery on Saturdays has been cut in the past. In 1947, delivery services were temporarily stopped in some cities, and in 1957 they were closed again. Both times were because of financial issues.

In order to preserve stability amidst their steep decline, the USPS has already merged offices, cut hours at locations across the nation, and laid off 28,000 from its workforce.

The USPS has suffered damaging losses to private competitors like UPS and Federal Experss and the advent of Internet shopping. Last year, the USPS reported a $16 billion loss.

Beginning this summer, private homes and businesses will recive regular mail Monday through Friday. Only mail order prescriptions, express mail, and packages will continue to be delivered on Saturdays.

Post office locations that are currently open on Saturday will remain open and PO Boxes will continued to be delivered to on Saturdays.